Folding crate.



L. M. GREEN.

FOLDING CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. s.

Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

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FOLDING CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. s. 1913.

Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wjn'esses Inventor.'

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@l @www ANOGRANI c LEROY M. GREEN, O3? PORTLAND, OREGON'.

FOLDING CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

Application filed January 6, 1913. Serial No. 740,320.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, LEROY M. GREEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portland, in the county of Multnomah aud State of Oregon, have invented certain' new and useful Improvements in Folding Crates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved knock-down or folding crate for general use as a shipping' receptacle and especially adapted for use in shipping' poultry.

Generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices and combination of devices hereinafter described and detined in the claims.

In the accompanying' drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indil cate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved crate showing the same in a set-up position, ready for use, some parts being' broken away, some of the exposed parts shown in section, and other parts being removed; Fig. 2 a longitudinal vertical section, taken on the line rc2 of Fig'. l; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the improved crate. showing the same in a knocked-down position, some parts being removed, and other parts being' broken away; Fig'. 1l is a. detail view in transverse vertical section, taken on the line w mi of Fig'. 1, on an enlarged scale; Fig. 5 is a detail View in horizontal section, taken on the line m5 m5 of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale; and Fig. G is a perspective View of one corner of the crate in a knocked-down position.

The improved crate comprises a removable top, a bottom, and two ends and two sides which are hinged to the bottom. The crate bottom is preferably in the form of a rectangular shallow metallic pan, made up of a sheet metal plate 1, having' rigidly secured to its marginal edges the horizontal flange of an angle bar 2, the vertical edge of which is turned upward to form the sides of the pan-like bottom. The ends 3 and sides t are each made up of a plurality of wooden slats, spaced edgewise apart, forming longitudinal openings therebetween, and

transversely connected by metallic channel pieces 5 and metallic reinforcing straps G. The side flanges of the channel pieces 5 ein brace the ends of the slats composing' the ends 3 and sides el, and the reinforcing straps G extend over 'the top edges and down both sides of the ends 3 and sides 4l. Said channel pieces 5 and straps 6 are rigidly secured in position by rivets. The number of reinforcing straps 6 may vary, depending on the size and strength of the crate required.

()ne lea't' of cach of the hinges 7 and 8 is rigidly secured, respectively, to the lower ends of the outer sections of the reinforcing straps (i on the ends 3 and the lower ends of the inner sections of the reinforcing straps (i on the sides 4. The other leaves of said hinges 7 and 8 are rigidly secured, respectively, to the bottom plate l and the vertical lflange of the angle bar 2. The hinges 7 are arranged to permit the ends 3 to be folded into flat engagement with the bottom plate 1, below the upper edge of the angle bar 2. and the hinges 8 are arranged to permit the sides 4t to be folded into flat engagement with the folded ends 3. Stops 9, against which the ends 3 are turned, when the crate is set up. are secured to the. ends of the sides 4,. These stops 9 are preferably in the form of angle pieces having' one of their 'flanges secured to the channel pieces 5 on the sides el and having their other flanges projecting inward, for engagement with the ends The crate top 10 is made up of a plurality of wooden slats, spaced edgewise apart to afford longitudinally extended openings therebetween, and having' their ends secured to the horizontal 'flange of an angle bar 11. This angle bar 1l is bent to conform to the shape and approximate size of the angle bar 2. and its vertical lflange is turned downward and embraces the upper edges of the ends 3 and sides 4, when the crate is in its set-up position. Reinforced metallic straps 19. for the top .10 are alined with the straps G of the sides t and are secured to the horizontal flange of the angle bar 11 and to eertain of the slats comprising the top 10. To

.further reinforce the top 10, a pair of diagonally crossed metallic straps 13 is secured to the four corners of the angle bar l1, to the straps l2 and to certain of the slats in the top 10. lt might be here stated that the bottom of the crate is also reinforced in substantially this same arrangement, by metallic straps indicated, as an entirety, by the numeral 14.

For locking the top 10 to the rest of the crate, when the same is in either its set-up or knocked-down position, upper and lower sets of lock loops are hinged, respectively, to the upper edges of the ends 3 and sides 4 and to the hinges 8, and coperating lock levers are pivotally secured to the crate top 10. This upper set of lock loops 15 is hinged at 1G, one to the outer upper end portion of each strap 6 on both the ends 3 and sides 4, and the lower lock loops 17 are hinged to the pintles of the hinges 8 directly under the lock loops 15. A cam acting lock lever 18 is located directly over each lock loop 15 and is pivotally secured to and between pairs of upwardly projecting bearing ears 19 on the horizontal iiange of the angle bar 11. At their free ends, the levers 18 are bent to form stops 20, and they are each provided with a crotch 21, located near the lever pivots. These crotches 21 are adapted to receive and hold the horizontal portions of the free ends of either set of lock loops 15 and 17 with a toggle-like action on the said lock loops.

In locking the top 10 to the ends 3 and sides 4, when the crate is set up, the lock loops 15 are first turned up to permit the free ends of the levers 18, when turned outward, to project therethrough, as indicated by full lines in Fig. 4. Then the levers 18 are swung on their pivots upward and inward until stopped by engagement of their bent ends 2O with the top 10. During this movement of the levers 18, the free ends of the lock loops 15 are picked up by the lever crotches 21 and carried over the bearing ears 19. At the limit of the inward movement of the levers 18, with their free ends in engagement with the top 10, they are beyond dead centers with a toggle action on the lock loops 15, the action drawing the top 10 into tight engagement with the upper edges of the ends and sides of the crate. The lock loops 15 and 17 are transversely bent, at their intermediate portions, as best shown in Fig. 4, to permit the same to be carried over the ears 19. By thus bending the lock loops, their free ends extend downward and outward from the crate, when in idle positions, thereby making itl easy to take hold of the lock loops, to move the same upward into engagement with the lock levers 18, as previously described. To lock the top 10 to the resty of the crate, when the same is knocked down, the ends and sides of the crate are iirstrfolded into positions as previously described. The top 10 is then placed on top of the sides 4, with the vertical flange of its angle bar 11 embracing the folded side 4, and the lock levers 18 are secured to the lock loops 17 in the same manner as they are secured to the lock loops 15.

To prevent the top 10 from being separated from the rest of the crate, the same is connected to the bottom plate 1 by means of a pair of short chains 22, anchored, at their ends, to the underside of the top 10 and to the bottom plate 1. rllhese chains have slack enough to permit the top 10 to be lifted above the bottom of the crate a suflicient distance to permit free folding movements of the ends and sides of the crate.

A removable transverse vertical partition 23 is provided for dividing the crate into two compartments. This partition is made up of a multiplicity of wooden slats, connected, at their ends, by metallic channel pieces 24, the side ianges of which embrace said slats and are rigidly secured thereto. rl`he slats forming the partition are located close together, eXcept at the longitudinal center of the partition, where they are separated, to afford an opening 25, the purpose of which will presently appear.

For removably holding the partition 23 in an upright position at the intermediate portion of the crate, two pairs of spaced blocks 26 are secured to the bottom plate 1, and a single pair of spaced blocks 27 is secured to the inner face of the upper Slat of each side 4. These blocks 26 and 27 are, as shown, preferably cut from an angle bar. The blocks 26 have one of their flanges secured to the bottom plate 1 by rivets, and their other flanges are turned inward and upward, to embrace the opposite faces of the lower horizontal portion of the partition 23. One of the iianges of each block 27 is secured to the sides 4 and their other flanges are turned inward, so as to embrace the channel pieces 24 of the partition 23. To remove the partition 23, the sides 4 are lirst turned outward a distance sufiieient to carry the blocks 27 out of engagement with the channel pieces 24. rIhe partition is then lifted vertically out` of engagement with the blocks 26. In the knocked-down position, of the crate, the partition 23 is turned into flat engagement with the bottom plate 1 between the folded ends 3 and with the blocks 26 projecting through its central opening 25. The sides 4 are then turned downward into flat engagement. with the ends 3 and partition 23. In this position of the sides 4, the blocks 27 also project into the central opening 25 of the partition 23. Obviously, these blocks 26 and 27 hold the partition 23, when the crate is knocked down, against edgewise movement.

To afford access to each of the two compartments of the improved crate, two sections of the intermediate slat of the top 10 are cut out directly over the central portions of said compartments. These cut-out sections of the intermediate slat are hinged at 28 to the fixed portions of said slat, to afford trap doors Q9. For locking the doors 29 closed, coperating hasps and staples 30 are provided. In the drawings, a pin 31 is shown for the purpose of holding the eooperating hasps and staples 30 locked, but, of course, a padlock may be substituted therefor if desired.

The improved crate may be constructed at compa atively small cost, and will be very durable. As it may be folded into a very compact form, it may be returned to the original shipper at a minimum freight rate.

I/Vhat I claim is:

l. A folding crate comprising a top, bottom, sides and ends, said sides and ends being hinged to the bottom, the hinges of the ends being arranged to permit said ends to be folded between the sides onto the bottom, and the hinges of the sides arranged to permit said sides to be folded onto the folded ends, stops for limiting the outward folding movements of the sides and ends, two sets of lock elements, one set secured to the upper edges of the ends and the other set secured to the bottom, and cam acting lock elements on the top and cooperating with the set of lock elements on the ends, to draw the top thereon and to also draw said ends into engagement with said stops, when the crate is in a set-up position, and cooperating with the lock elements on the bottom, to lock the crate in a knocked-down position, substantially as described.

2. A folding crate comprising a top, bottom, sides and ends, said sides and ends being4 hinged to the bottoni, the hinges of the ends being arranged to permit said ends to be folded between the sides, onto the bottom, and the hinges of the sides arranged to pcrmit said sides to be folded onto the folded ends, stops for limitingI the outward :folding movements of the sides and ends, two sets of lock loops, one set secured to the upper edges of the ends and the other set secured to the bottom, and lock levers on the top engageable with the lock loops on the end, to draw the top thereon and to also draw said ends into engagement with said stops, when the crate is in a set-np position, and engageable with the lock loops on the bottom to lock the crate in a knmrlced-down position, substantially as described.

3. A folding crate comprising a top, bottom, sides and ends, said sides and ends being hinged to the bottom, the hinges of the ends being arranged to permit. said ends to be folded between the sides onto the bottom, and the hinges of the sides arranged to permit said sides to be folded onto the folded ends, the top and bottom having laterally projecting, inturned marginal flanges, the flanges on said top limiting the outward folding movements of the sides and ends, two sets of lock loops, one set secured to the upper edges of the sides and ends and the other set secured to the bottom, and lock levers on the top engageable with the lock loops on the sides and ends to draw the top thereon and into engagement with the flange on said top, when the crate is in a set-up position, and engageable with the lock loops on the bottoni, to lock the crate in a knockeddown position, substantially as described.

4l. A folding crate comprising a top, bottom, sides and ends, said sides and ends being hinged to the bottom, the hinges of the ends being arranged to permit said ends to be folded into llat engagement with the bottom, and the hinges of the sides being arranged to permit said sides to be folded into flat engagement with the folded ends, a removable partition for dividing said crate into compartments, and having an intermediate opening, securing devices on the bottom and sides for holding the partition in an upright position, said partition adapted to be folded into flat engagement with the bottom between the folded ends, and with the said securing devices on the bottom and sides projecting into its intermediate opening, and means for locking the crate in a set-np or lmockeddown position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEROY M. GREEN.

Vitnesses:

AARON M. FRANK, Jamie H. GoLns'rmN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washingtom). C. 

